Written by

Katie Hoffman

Gannett Central Wisconsin Media

The headquarters for Hsu Ginseng are located north of Wausau. / Dan Young/Gannett Central Wisconsin Media

Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises

Address: T6819 Highway W, town of Texas Established: 1974 Management: Paul Hsu, president Number of employees in North America: 100 Description: A ginseng exporter, importer, dealer and grower providing Wisconsin-grown American Ginseng. With more than 1,000 acres of ginseng farmland, Hsu’s is the first Chinese-owned ginseng farm in North America. The company produces about 100,000 pounds of ginseng every year.

Employee profile

Name: Delos Kohnhorst Age: 69 Residence: Hamburg Position: Head mechanic Unlike machinery used for large-scale crops such as corn or soybeans, the ginseng harvesting equipment Hsu’s Ginseng uses is hard to find and often requires modification for ginseng beds. As head mechanic and one of Hsu’s longest-tenured employees, Kohnhorst builds much of the equipment used on Hsu’s farms and tweaks purchased machinery to better fit the company’s needs. “There’s really no place to buy ginseng farming equipment around here,” he said. “If we don’t got it, I build it. Things just come to me, it’s not a big deal to me, but I’m proud of what I do.” When Kohnhorst started at Hsu’s 21 years ago, the roots were dried on racks with fans. Now, with his help, the farm uses old tobacco driers and has increased the dry time from five days to almost two weeks. He said that helps make a better-quality root. Kohnhorst also found a way to make a used dilapidated harvester the company found into a vital piece of equipment on the farm. “I like the challenge of things and not knowing what to expect each day when I come in,” he said. “With the harvester, that came in pieces, and I modified it to work for us.”

TOWN OF TEXAS — Marathon County’s ginseng typically has been sent across the globe to consumers in China, but at least one local company is trying to bring the business back home again.

Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises isn’t about to stop shipping the precious medicinal root to Asia, where it typically is used to make tea and other products that fans say increase energy and endurance.

But it is trying now to market ginseng back here in the United States in products such as lotions, candy and capsules as it also expands as an importer of consumer products aimed primarily at Asians living in the U.S.

“Our main demographic is first- and second-generation Asian Americans of all ages,” said Will Hsu, vice president of operations. “We also have a very dedicated American segment — about 10 percent — who are health-conscious and open to nontraditional medicine versus drugs and medications.”

A perfect blend of location, soil and weather make Wisconsin-grown ginseng highly prized among Asian consumers, according to the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin’s website. Joe Heil, president of the Ginseng Board of Wisconsin and a grower himself, said it is the responsibility of the board and growers to continue to innovate and promote new products.

“We want to try to touch more people,” Heil said. “The more you can innovate and create more products gives you that ability. Whether it be someone who doesn’t like supplements or a candy, maybe they could then use something else, like a drink.”

Hsu said customers are more likely to try ginseng if it’s consumed in beverages through a powder form. The business also is expanding to create faster-steeping ginseng tea bags to make the process faster for on-the-go consumers.

Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises owns more than 1,000 acres of ginseng farmland and produces about 100,000 pounds of the product every year, according to its website. Opened in 1974, Hsu’s is the first Chinese-owned ginseng farm in North America and the largest grower in the country.

The company now has offices and delivery points in Wausau, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and several locations in China.

“We are trying to get it into forms that consumers find more convenient,” Hsu said. “Roots and slices of the product have been around for thousands of years.”

And now, Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises imports items for Asian American consumers who cannot get their favorite Asian cosmetics, rice steamers or food items. The goal of the business is to cater to a growing market through a trusted ginseng brand name.